Conquest of Zow

[djrodderz]

Recently picked up this cart. Just wondered if anyone knows much about the background of this game ?

 

[VectorGamer]

That's a funny name for a game. Growing up with German parents, "zow" was slang for someone that was a slob.

[108 Stars]

Recently picked up this cart. Just wondered if anyone knows much about the background of this game ?

It has the name Harry Dodgson on the label, who was one of the first Lynx hackers/homebrewers.

A quick Google search brought up the ROM. I didn't know the game yet.

 

 

Seems like quite a complex game. The intro has the theme from Monty Python's Flying Circus.^^

 

Here's an interview with Mr.Dodgson, although he does not mention this game he does talk about the Lynx.

 

http://www.gooddealgames.com/interviews/int_Harry%20Dodgson.html

 

That's a funny name for a game. Growing up with German parents, "zow" was slang for someone that was a slob.

Well, not quite. I had to think a bit how "zow" would be pronounced in english, and what "sob" means... what your parents most likely said was "Sau". That is the German word for a female pig. Zow is not a German word at all, and if it was it would be pronounced something like "Tsoff".

Edited January 30, 2014 by 108 Stars

[VectorGamer]

 

Well, not quite. I had to think a bit how "zow" would be pronounced in english, and what "sob" means... what your parents most likely said was "Sau". That is the German word for a female pig. Zow is not a German word at all, and if it was it would be pronounced something like "Tsoff".

 

I wasn't sure how it was spelled but I suppose "sau" and "zow" are pronounced the same (if you pronounce "zow" as you would in English to rhyme with "cow").

[108 Stars]

I wasn't sure how it was spelled but I suppose "sau" and "zow" are pronounced the same (if you pronounce "zow" as you would in English to rhyme with "cow").

Exactly, that's it, just like cow.

[djrodderz]

I just hadn't seen much about this game anywhere.

 

Are these prototypes actually worth much (not that I would sell them)

[LX.NET]

I just hadn't seen much about this game anywhere.

 

Are these prototypes actually worth much (not that I would sell them)

It really depends on whether it is a real prototype. There are a lot of PCBs out there that say "prototype", but in reality the PCB board is brand new and the prototype only refers to the fact that an unfinished game was put on it. Usually the ROMs of the prototypes are readily available as a download. Examples are Centipede, Alien vs Predator and Marlboro Go!.

 

There were only a few real prototypes, with beta releases of games, and an even smaller number of discovered unreleased games/prototypes like the real Eye of the Beholder.

[djrodderz]

It really depends on whether it is a real prototype. There are a lot of PCBs out there that say "prototype", but in reality the PCB board is brand new and the prototype only refers to the fact that an unfinished game was put on it. Usually the ROMs of the prototypes are readily available as a download. Examples are Centipede, Alien vs Predator and Marlboro Go!.

 

There were only a few real prototypes, with beta releases of games, and an even smaller number of discovered unreleased games/prototypes like the real Eye of the Beholder.

 

What happened to the guy on here who did the lovely EOTB run?

I left my collection alone for a year or so and missed out on this one!

[108 Stars]

He's become pretty much inactive. He did drop by when we were all wondering why he disappeared and said that he was still planning to do a second run, but no word eversince.

 

Der Luchs bought a copy at some other shop, curiously with the same modificatin made for Eric's version it seems (making me think it may be based on a dump of his run) but without the nice box and manual.

[GadgetUK]

Eric will be doing another run!

[djrodderz]

Eric will be doing another run!

 

 

When ?

[Michael David Morsette]

I searched the forums and found this:

Harry Dodson: "Zow started as a collection of sound and graphics demos. It was killed when someone who had no right to, released a version to the 'net. That action also made me sick enough to stop all Lynx work for almost exactly two years. The version out there is rather embarrassing and I tried to get people to stop putting it out on their ROM pages. Everytime someone agreed, someone else would start a new page and it would be out there again. Two years later, I put 3 months of work into Lynx Othello and released it. AtariHQ never contacted me about anything or they would have accurate data."

The cart itself looks to me like the carts I've seen for the legit release of Yastuna

 

 

I have emailed Dodgson and the original ebay seller to see if I can find anymore info on it. I noticed around 02 I believe it was, there was a group release of protos by MyAtari and MyAtari mentioned possibly releasing Zow also. Dodgson was in the same thread and made no comment about it one way or another. So I think there is a good possibility that this is a legit release of a very incomplete game.

[Fadest]

There is no "legit" release of Yastuna, or to be more precise, every release of Yastuna is legit as long as no change has been made to binaries...

Effectively, the one you have seems to have been done with the same Proto PCB than the Conquest of Zow picture. These protos PCB have probably been sold blank some years ago to many people, so it's probably not the same guy who make the both.

AFAIK, it was Nimtene who made this run of 10 Yastuna with this PCB for US buyers.

[Michael David Morsette]

Thanks for the correction on "legit". I guess my main point was that it looks like someone we are familiar with produced the cart.

[Michael David Morsette]

Thanks for the correction on "legit". I guess my main point was that it looks like someone we are familiar with produced the cart.

But with the PCBs sold like you said, who knows.

[Michael David Morsette]

Dodgson was kind enough to answer my email. His response:

"Hi,

 

That cartridge is made without my permission or knowledge.

 

Harry"